Traffic was brought to a standstill in Hammersmith as firefighters and the RSPCA battled for three hours to free a kitten that was trapped in the engine of a British Gas van.

Engineer Charlie Goodchild was on his way to fix a boiler when the cat ran in front of his vehicle on the busy Hammersmith Road on Monday (April 4), causing him to slam his brakes.

The frightened animal then crawled beneath the van and into the engine compartment where it got trapped.

Unsure what to do Charlie called the RSPCA, who advised him not to move the van. The animal charity was soon at the scene but, despite hearing the kitten crying, could see no way of safely rescuing it.

The cat, named Wolfie after one of the firefighters who helped free him, following his rescue (Pic: British Gas)

So, the decision was made to call firefighters from Kensington , who managed to safely extract the feline, but only after hoisting the van up and striping the undercarriage.

It cook about three hours to free the kitten, and resulted in the temporary closure of Hammersmith Road during the rescue.

It is not the first time in recent weeks that fire crew have helped save a stricken animal, after firefighters helped save a an owl in Hayes .

Recovering

The animal is now recovering from its ordeal at the RSCPA hospital in Putney, and has been named Wolfie after the firefighter who led the rescue mission. Charlie’s boss has said he would adopt the cat if its owners cannot be found.

Fire crew from Kensington busy at work to rescue the tiny kitten (Pic: British Gas)

The engineer said: “It’s not every day that a kitten jumps into your engine; I certainly wasn’t expecting it.

“When the fire brigade lifted my van and rescued Wolfie, I was amazed and delighted that he had no marks and is as right as rain.”

Kensington fire station watch manager Thomas Wolfe, after whom the Tom was named, said: “It was such a tiny kitten it was quite hard to find as it had got itself right into the engine.

"It took me about 45 minutes to locate him and get him safely out. I was relieved to see him unharmed as I handed him over to the RSPCA.

“In my 20 years as a firefighter this is only the second cat I’ve had to rescue. It goes to show that the old stereotype about firefighters always rescuing cats is nonsense!"

Tiny ball of fluff... quite a commotion

Watch manager Wolfe added: “Our advice is always to call the RSPCA if you see an animal stuck somewhere, and then if they need our help, they’ll call on us, as they did on this occasion.”

The cat was trapped in the engine compartment for nearly three hours (Pic: British Gas)

RSPCA animal collection officer Jill Sanders said: “Poor Wolfie has been through quite an ordeal – he is only a tiny ball of fluff but he has caused quite a commotion today.

“He is now recovering from his adventure at Putney Animal Hospital and he looks set to make a full recovery, which is fantastic news.”

Last month, the RSPCA rescued a snake which had been found thrown out with the recycling in Paddington .

Anyone who recognises the kitten can call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.